It’s a date that sends shudders down her spine as Claudine has racked up a string of disasters over the past 40 years on the dreaded calender blackspot.

For decades the radiographer has been jinxed and fears when the date approaches.

But to break the curse, she had her daughter Rubie on Friday 13th, 17 years ago – and she says she is now her good luck charm.

“It might be superstition but an awful lot of things have happened to me on the 13th,” said Claudine, 47, of Rowlands Gill, Gateshead.

Claudine Henderson (right) and daughter Rubie (Image: Send in)

Claudine’s list includes:

Friday, June 13 1975, when her gran died on her way to a funeral, devastating the family. She had caught the wrong bus and ended up walking a steep hill. It proved to be too much for her and she collapsed and died.

Tuesday, June 13, 1995, she was involved in a car accident whilst pregnant with her son Sonny. She had been doing the shopping and had approached a roundabout when a car went into the back of her.

Friday 13, March 1998, she was struck down by an illness which left her paralysed for months. She got a virus which attacked her nervous system. She was paralysed from the chest down and was confined to a wheelchair. She had to progress to a Zimmer frame, then walkingsticks. It took her almost 18 months to fully recover.

Friday 13, October 2000, Claudine gave birth to her daughter Rubie Ellen after an eventful day on the Thursday. She was stuck on the 10th floor of Newcastle College following a fire alarm. They couldn’t use the lifts and everyone had to evacuate via the stairs. Claudine’s waters broke when she got to the bottom and she was rushed to hospital where she subsequently went into labour and gave birth to her daughter at 7.30am on Friday 13th.

Friday 13, April 2007, Claudine collapsed in her GP’s surgery and was rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung and pneumonia. She was with Rubie who cuddled her telling her not to go to sleep. She was in hospital for about three weeks and could have died. But she pulled through and Rubie and Sonny were there for her when she got home.

Tuesday 13, November 2007, Claudine was involved in another car accident and trapped in her car uninjured until emergency services arrive.

Ruby, a student at Newcastle College, turns 17 on Friday, October 13, and Claudine says she is hoping all runs smoothly.

“Something always happens when the number 13 is involved,” said Claudine.

Claudine Henderson (right) and daughter Rubie (Image: Send in)

“Even this year when Ruby and I went on holiday with two friends to America we sat in row 13 on our flight down to Heathrow and when coming down to land the pilot shot back up in to the air again. He later said there had been another plane taking off and we had to avoid it. Ruby was in tears.

“Then on the plane coming back from America we were in row 13 again. Our flight was delayed which meant we missed our connecting flight back to Newcastle.